Self-Sovereign Identity
Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is the foundational principle behind Hadinet Africa's identity model. It means that you own and control your digital identity — not a government, not a corporation, not a platform.
What is Self-Sovereign Identity?
In traditional identity systems, your identity is issued and controlled by a central authority. A government issues your passport. A bank verifies your address. A social media platform holds your profile. In each case, the authority can revoke, modify, or expose your identity without your consent.
Self-sovereign identity reverses this relationship:
- You create your identity by connecting a wallet
- You control your identity through your private key
- You choose what to share through selective disclosure
- No one can revoke it — your on-chain proof is permanent and tamper-proof
How SSI Works in Hadinet
Wallet-Based Identity
Your identity in Hadinet is derived entirely from your crypto wallet. There is no registration form, no username, no password, and no email required. When you connect a wallet, your identity is created automatically.
The process:
- You connect your wallet (MetaMask, WalletConnect, email, or social login)
- You sign a message to prove ownership of the wallet
- A DID (Decentralized Identifier) is derived from your wallet's public key
- This DID becomes your pseudonymous identity across the entire Hadinet ecosystem
The DID Model
A DID (Decentralized Identifier) is a globally unique identifier that you control. In Hadinet, it is derived deterministically from your wallet:
Wallet (secp256k1 private key)
-> Public key (33 bytes, compressed)
-> Multicodec prefix (0xe7 0x01)
-> Base58btc encoding
-> did:key:zQ3sh...
Key properties of your DID:
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deterministic | The same wallet always produces the same DID |
| Pseudonymous | The DID cannot be traced back to your real identity |
| Self-issued | No registration or approval from any authority |
| Persistent | Your DID exists as long as your wallet exists |
| Portable | Works across any service that supports the did:key method |
No Registration Required
Unlike traditional identity systems, Hadinet does not require:
- Email address
- Phone number
- Username or password
- Government-issued ID (until you choose to verify)
- Any personal information whatsoever
Connecting a wallet is sufficient to establish your identity. Verification (KYC) is an optional step that adds a cryptographic proof to your DID.
The SSI Trust Triangle
In the SSI model, there are three roles:
| Role | Who | What They Do |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | KYC Provider (Smile ID, Plaid) | Verifies your identity and issues a credential |
| Holder | You (your wallet) | Holds the credential and chooses when to present it |
| Verifier | Any service | Checks your credential without contacting the issuer |
In Hadinet, this triangle works as follows:
- The KYC provider verifies your identity using your documents
- The attestor generates a ZK proof of that verification
- You hold the proof on-chain, tied to your wallet
- Any service can verify your proof independently — without contacting the KYC provider or Hadinet
Why SSI Matters for Africa
Africa's identity challenge is unique:
- 500+ million people lack formal identification
- 54 countries with different identity systems and no interoperability
- Cross-border movement requires repeated, invasive verification
- Data breaches in centralized databases disproportionately harm vulnerable populations
SSI addresses these challenges by:
- Letting individuals create their own identity without relying on a single government system
- Making identity portable across borders through standardized DIDs
- Eliminating centralized databases that become breach targets
- Giving individuals control over who sees their verification status
Comparison: Traditional vs. Self-Sovereign
| Aspect | Traditional Identity | Self-Sovereign Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | Central authority | You (your wallet) |
| Controlled by | Issuing authority | You (your private key) |
| Stored in | Centralized database | Blockchain (your wallet) |
| Can be revoked | Yes, by the authority | No — permanent on-chain |
| Data exposure | Full PII to every verifier | Zero-knowledge proof only |
| Cross-border | Requires re-verification | One proof, everywhere |
| Breach risk | High (centralized target) | None (no PII stored) |
Next Steps
- Zero-Knowledge Proofs — How ZK proofs make SSI private
- Privacy Model — The complete data protection model
- Trust Model — What you trust each component with